Neck Pain - Right Up Your Chiropractor's Alley

A group of researchers forming The Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders recently performed a systematic search and critical review of neck pain related literature published between 1980 and 2006 to assemble the best evidence on neck pain. Their findings indicate that neck pain is quite common within the general population and is most common in women, especially during middle age. From their evaluation of hundreds of studies, the researchers also found that, "…therapies involving manual therapy and exercise are more effective than alternative strategies for patients with neck pain… Future efforts should focus on the study of non-invasive interventions for patients with radicular symptoms (symptoms radiating down the extremities) and on the design and evaluation of neck pain prevention strategies." In case you weren't aware, chiropractic care consists of non-invasive manual therapy of the spine (neck and back). Many chiropractors are also highly trained on the prevention and wellness aspects of musculoskeletal disorders, implementing strategies and tools their patients can utilize to stay pain-free and healthy. These are just a few of the reasons chiropractic care is so safe and so successful for the management of many musculoskeletal aches and pains including the most common causes of neck pain.

Back Pain Healthcare Costs Enormous

Back pain and spinal problems are increasingly burdening the healthcare system within the U.S. as well as many other countries throughout the world. The latest numbers come in close to $86 billion - the annual cost of treating spinal problems in the United States alone. This number equates to a 65 percent increase in the cost of treating back and spine related disorders in just the past decade. Worse yet, new research indicates people's back and spine related problems are no better off. So what’s the deal? Experts state increased spending on prescription drugs, more advanced diagnostic testing and increases in the number and cost of spinal surgeries are partly to blame. While this is unfortunate, it's clear that the current overall methodology of treatment is not successful since significantly increasing costs shouldn't result in a poorer outcome for back and spinal disorder sufferers. Chiropractic care is safe, non-invasive and highly effective in the management of many spinal disorders including some of the most common causes of back pain. Chiropractic care has also been shown to be a very cost-effective treatment for certain back and spinal problems. In fact, chiropractic doctors receive so much back and spine related training that most chiropractic students purchase models of the human spine to study extensively during their chiropractic training.

2008 Estimated Cancer Statistics

The American Cancer Society released their annual cancer statistics report for 2008 on February 20, 2008. According to their estimates, a staggering 1.4 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer in 2008 and 565,650 will die from their cancer. The following graph provides some of the more notable estimated statistics for American men and women:

Exercise For More Energy

According to researchers at the University of Georgia, a low-intensity workout can boost energy levels by 20 percent as well as decrease fatigue by 65 percent. Their results come from a small study of 36 individuals who were split into 3 groups - Those who exercised moderately for 20 minutes 3 times a week for 6 weeks, those who exercised leisurely at low intensity for 20 minutes 3 times a week for 6 weeks, and those who did not exercise at all. The 2 groups who exercised had a 20 percent increase in energy. But, the low intensity group reported less fatigue than the moderate intensity group. Thus, for those looking to increase energy levels, consider exercising lightly to moderately. For those looking to also significantly minimize their fatigue, they should consider participating in a lower intensity exercise program.